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(No Model.)

T. W. LANE & T. W. GLEESON.

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NITED STATES PATENT Cl rice.

THOMAS WV. LANE AND THOMAS GLEESON, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES AND CHARLES WILLIAMS, JR, F SOMERVILLE, MASS.

TELEPHONE SW'lTCH-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,626, dated July 19, 1881.

(No model.)

J 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, THOMAS \V. LANE and THOMAS W. GLEESON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk-and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Telephone Switch -,Boards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of switch: boards of which a type is shown in the applir0 cation of T. WV. Lane, filed May 16, 1881, cm-

bodying a series of line-circuit strips, each adapted to be turned laterally to separate it from a ground-strip, against which it is normally held with a yielding pressure; a series of connecting-strips, each provided with as many plugs or connecting devices as there are line-circuit strips, said plugs being permanontly secured to the connecting-strips and normally disconnected from the line-circuit 2o strips, and adapted to make contact with the line-circuit strips, and at the same time to engage with and hold said strips from the groundstrips; and, finally, means for disengaging the line-circuit strips from the plugs of the conmeeting-strips, and permitting said plugs and strips to automatically resume their normal position.

The invention consists in certain improvements in the construction of the line circuit 0 strips of a switch-board of this class, whereby said strips are enabled to be securely engaged with the plugs of the connecting strips and conveniently turned to disengage said plugs, as we will now proceed to describe and claim. Of the accompanying drawings,formin g part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a plan "iew of a switch -board embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 represents a section on lineww, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line y y, Fig. 1; "Fi gs. 4, 5, and 6 represent enlarged Views of parts in detail. The same letters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawin gs, B represents a switch-board having a series of line-circuit strips, a, and a ground-strip, 0, common to all the line circuit strips. Each strip a is composed of a tube adapted to rotate on a rod, 1), rigidly attached to one side of the frame of the switch-board. Each strip a projects through the opposite side of the switch-board, and is provided with a knob o'r handle, a, by which it maybe turned. The strips to are'provided with projections m, which are held with yielding pressure against the ground-strip c by springs 8, connected to 5 the strips to andthe frame of the switch-board. The connectingstrips dare, as usual, arranged at right angles to the line circuit strips, and are insulated therefrom by the frame of the switch -board, to which they are rigidly attached; Each strip (1 has a series of plugs or connecting devices, 6, there being as many of said plugs in each strip d as there are line-circuit strips. These plugs are movable longitudinally toward and from the line circuit strips, and are normally held away from said strips-by springs f, but are adapted to be forced inwardly against the pressure of said springs. Each plug 0 has a notch or recess, a, formed in the lower portion of its shank, and a shoul- 7o der or projection, 71, on the lower end. The tubular line-circuit strips a are provided with orifices i, which correspond in number to the plugs c, and are adapted to coincide with and receive the notched ends of said plugs when 5 the strips to are turned away from the groundstrip 0, the rods b being flattened on one side to form cavities under the orifices i, to receive the ends of theplugs when the latter are pushed inwardly. When one of the plugs c is inserted in one of the orifices i one edge of the orifice is pressed by the springsinto the notch a back of the shoulder 71, so that the plug and strip are mutually held in contact with each other, and neither can resume its normal po sition, the line-circuit strip being disconnected from the ground-strip.

The general operation of connecting the circuits by the switch-board is efiected in the usual manner-that is to say, when a sub- 0 scriber on one of the line-circuit strips (say No.

6) wishes to communicate with another (say on No. l) the line-circuit strips corresponding to said circuits are turned by the operator to bring the orifices i under the plugs c, and two 5 Y plugs on any unoccupied connecting-strips are pushed into the orifices corresponding to said plugs, the strips a being'held by the operator until the plugs are inserted, and then released, so that the strips can hold the plugs, as already roo described. The two circuits are thus connected so that the subscribers can communicate. WV h en it is desired to break the connection the operator turns each line-circuit strip until the plug held thereby is released and retracted by its spring f, and then releases the strip, so thatits spring 8 will turn it back to contact with the ground-strip.

We do not claim, broadly, the combination of the line-circuit strips, each normally heldin contact with a ground-strip and adapted to be separated from the latter, and the connecting-strips, each having as many springretracted plugs or connecting devices as there are line-circuit strips, such combination being .the sole invention of Thomas XV. Lane, and

shown in the application above referred to.

We claim THOMAS \V. LANE. THOMAS V. GLEESON.

Witnesses:

H. G. WADLIN, DANIEL B. MoRRIsoN. 

